An Israeli restaurant in Munich was targeted overnight when several display windows were smashed and pyrotechnic devices were thrown into the premises, police said on Friday. No injuries were reported; damage was estimated at several thousand euros. Authorities have not yet determined who carried out the attack or how many people were involved.
Investigators and the restaurant’s management believe the incident was motivated by antisemitism. The Polizeilicher Staatsschutz, the special police unit that handles politically motivated crimes, has taken over the inquiry.
Emergency services received a call at about 12:45 a.m. reporting three loud bangs on Hessstrasse in the Maxvorstadt district, close to the university quarter, the old town and the central train station. Officers found the storefronts forcibly damaged and pyrotechnic devices thrown into the venue; they were still collecting evidence at the scene on Friday morning.
The 70-seat restaurant’s operators told the dpa news agency they had not received any direct threats beforehand and intend to reopen as normal. Grigori Dratva, a member of the family running the business, said they would not be intimidated and planned to continue serving customers. The Central Council of Jews in Germany posted a message on Instagram urging solidarity with the Eclipse restaurant.
German domestic intelligence (BfV) has reported an increase in incidents suspected to be antisemitically motivated since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the ensuing regional conflict. Renewed fighting in recent weeks involving Iran, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East has again focused attention on the trend.
The European Rabbis’ Conference, based in Munich, warned the attack is not isolated but part of a worrying pattern seen since October 2023. CER General Secretary Gady Gronich called for Munich to remain safe for Jewish residents and visitors, urging a policy of zero tolerance toward antisemitism and firm sanctions to prevent repeat incidents.